ESP James Hetfield Snakebyte Electric Guitar Review

Electric Sound Products, better know
to guitarists as ESP, started humbly
enough in Tokyo, Japan in 1975. The company
rose on its reputation for high-quality,
custom-made replacement guitar parts and
components, but it didn’t take long for ESP
to start crafting their own instruments.
Entering the American guitar market only a
few short years after inception, they began
building custom guitars for the likes of
Vinnie Vincent and Bruce Kulick. By the
’80s, their hand built axes had started to
grab the attention of high-profile players
from Ron Wood to many of the shredders
riding the ’80s-metal wave.

Metallica’s James Hetfield, who began
using their guitars extensively in the late
’80s while in the twilight of the band’s
thrash-metal era, often championed ESP’s
quality, playability, and tone. And in the
years since, ESP has produced a plethora of
Hetfield signature models. But their newest
offering, the Snakebyte, merges them
into one unique instrument with a flair and
character all its own.

Tweak & Destroy
Hetfield designed the Snakebyte’s body
shape, headstock, and other aesthetic elements.
There’s an obvious Gibson Explorer
influence—no surprise given that he’s wielded
Explorers since the Ride the Lightning era
and it’s the Explorer that inspired most of
Hetfield’s ESP guitars. But the Snakebyte is
built around several, evolutionary alterations
to the shape, including a carved bout on the
back edge, a beveled cutaway, and a hook-like
end on the headstock.

The first thing that struck me when
I took the Snakebyte out of its case was
how light it was. On a shipping scale,
the guitar weighed only 7 1/2 pounds,
even though the body and neck are built
entirely from mahogany. The case alone
weighed over twice as much as the guitar
at 19 1/2 pounds.

Metallica’s rhythm king has long been
synonymous with EMG’s 81 and 60 pickups—
two humbuckers that have likely
remained in favor thanks to their association
with Metallica’s classic-thrash era. Dual
Volume knobs and a 3-way switch control
the active, molten-hot fire breathers in
the Snakebyte. And the pickup battery
compartment sports a cool-looking metal
door—located on the back of the body—
that resembles a car’s flip-out ashtray.

Crushing All Deceivers,
Mashing Non-Believers
Hetfield’s sound has always been primarily
about power—leaving comrade Kirk
Hammett with the effects and extreme
guitar-wizardry duties—and the Snakebyte
definitely reflects his focus. It’s built
to pummel, and make the player feel comfortable doing so for extended gigging
and recording sessions.

What struck me initially was how compact
the neck felt in my fretting hand.
When I first saw the Snakebyte, my first
impression was that I would probably have
an easier time hanging out from the 5th fret
up than I would at the lower reaches of the
neck. I was proven wrong when I plugged
the guitar directly into a 2011 Mesa/Boogie
Multiwatt Dual Rectifier and Emperor
4x12 cabinet, and laid down the meanest
rendition of Ride The Lightning’s title track
I could muster. With 22 “XJ” jumbo-sized
frets set into a deep ebony fretboard,
the neck’s 24.75" scale length and thin,
U-shape felt super-comfortable—putting
every single note within easy reach.

Hetfield’s sound has always been primarily
about power— leaving comrade
Kirk Hammett with the effects and
extreme guitar-wizardry duties—and the
Snakebyte definitely reflects his focus.

Playing in a seated position resulted in
the neck jutting out a little further when
I placed my knee in the middle of the
lower body-carve. When standing though,
the guitar sat perfectly square against my
waist. The entire fretboard felt accessible
and perfectly placed, ready for the taking
at a moment’s notice. And since the
weight is only 7 1/2 pounds, there wasn’t
a major strain on my shoulder, making
the Snakebyte one of the most comfortable,
effortless, metal-oriented guitars that
I’ve ever played.

In terms of brutal tone, the Snakebyte
comes as you’d expect. Metalheads have
long known about the magical pairing of
EMG’s 81 bridge pickup and a healthy
Dual Rectifier. The Snakebyte delivered
handily on that promise with solid, percussive
lows and razor-sharp highs as I
laid down a flurry of palm-muted triplets
with interspersed pull-offs and hammer-ons.
This is the tone realm in which the
Snakebyte truly excels.

After plugging into an Orange Dark
Terror head with the gain set around
10:30, a juicy mid-range became more
prominent, bellowing along with the EMG
81’s stinging high-end. Typically, I’ve found
the best way to tame excessive mid-range
presence with the 81 is to drop the tone
control on the guitar. Unfortunately, the
Snakebyte has no tone controls, which
forced me to walk over to the amp and
drop the treble. I’m definitely one for simplicity,
but this is an irritation that could
have easily been avoided with the addition
of a master tone knob.

On the other end of the spectrum,
cleans from the Snakebyte’s EMG 60 neck
pickup are quite stunning. The tone from
the Mesa’s clean channel was smooth and
crisp, with bright attack characteristics
that likely come from the humbucker’s
ceramic magnets. The kind of bone-cold,
sharp tone that embodied the intro for
Metallica’s searing epic “...And Justice for
All” was easy to imitate in all its foreboding
glory—with stoic lows, scooped mids,
and an unrelenting high end.

The Verdict
The ESP Snakebyte is a guitar fit for one
of metal’s reigning rhythm kings. But it’ll
get along with any player with thrashier
tendencies in their music and playing
style. The neck and fretboard couldn’t get
any more comfortable, and the weight
is perfect for those long gigs that put
demands on your hands, shoulders, and
stamina. Make no mistake, it’s wholeheartedly
a metal-oriented instrument, and
won’t replace your favorite Tele or Les
Paul during those classic-rock or blues
moments. But for straight-up aggression
and power, it’s one of the finest ways the
ride the lightning.

Watch the video review:

Buy if...
you need a guitar that can muster
the muscle for the heaviest riffs and
remain comfortable over extended playing
sessions.Skip if...
tones with a vintage, warm vibe
are essential to your music.Rating...

A native of the Pacific Northwest, Jordan grew up traveling the country as the son of theater technical directors and speech instructors. His exposure to the performing arts early on helped foster his love for music and attention to detail, and upon receiving his first guitar at age 15, he became hooked. Jordan brings a considerable background of gear knowledge and tech experience to Premier Guitar, and has contributed an extensive amount of articles, artist interviews and Rig Rundown videos since late 2008. He lives in the Iowa City area, where he also works to bring music education initiatives to both local and regional communities.

Related Products

User Reviews And Comments

Your gear experience and opinions are valuable—and powerful. To maximize the usefulness of your review to fellow players, be as thorough as possible in describing your experiences and insights for every ratings category (Tones, Playability, Ease of Use, etc.). Regardless of your overall opinion on a piece of gear, please be respectful and courteous to companies and other reviewers.

Stay Connected

Sign up for our email newsletters!

Get the PG Apps

On PremierGuitar.com, "Sponsored Content" refers to articles, videos, or audio recordings that are produced or curated by an advertiser but that Premier Guitar is happy to share alongside our own editorial content due to the Sponsored Content’s educational, musical, or entertainment value. Sponsored Content is clearly labeled everywhere it appears, and Premier Guitar's editorial department has no involvement in its creation.